Ethanol (ch3ch2oh) is an alcohol found in beverages. it is oxidized in the body to acetaldehyde by the enzyme alcohol dehydrogenase. methanol (ch3oh), also known as wood alcohol, is converted to formaldehyde by the same enzyme. acetaldehyde is toxic, but formaldehyde is far more toxic to humans, which is why the ingestion of relatively small amounts of methanol can cause blindness or death. one treatment for mild methanol poisoning is the administration of ethanol. why might a doctor choose this treatment?

Ethanol can be used for the treatment of methanol poisoning because the ethanol acts as competitive inhibitor and slows down the formation of formaldehyde.

Explanation:

Ethanol is a type of alcohol found in beverages, in the presence of enzyme alcohol dehydrogenase, ethanol is converted into acetaldehyde.

The same enzyme converts methanol into formaldehyde which is more toxic than acetaldehyde.

So, in case of mild methanol poisoning, ethanol is used which acts as competitive inhibitor. Competitive inhibition can be defined as the process in which the substance present in large amount will bind to the enzyme to be converted into product.

Hence, ethanol is used in case of milf methanol poisoning.